Traffic signal device



Feb. 27, 1968 'r. s. WRIGHT TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July V26, 1965 F/GJ F IGZZ T. G. WRIGHT TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE Feb. 27, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26. .1965

United States Patent 3,371,314 TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE Thomas G. Wright, 4365 Chase Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90066 Filed July 26, 1965, Ser. No. 474,857 6 Claims. (Cl. 340-39) This invention relates to a device for signaling to a motorist that he is going the wrong way in a traffic lane.

One object of this invention is to provide a signal opcrating system to overcome driving conditions which become hazardous at night. Frequently one cannot read road signs because of misplaced signs, poor visibility, glare of oncoming headlights and similar distractions. Many accidents of a serious nature have arisen through motorists coming off of super highways or the like into incoming lanes because of inability to read road signs or because of simple confusion. Also serious accidents have arisen because of vehicles entering a superhighway through an exit.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device which will give warning when any moving object is going in a certain direction over a surface.

It is another object of this device to give an indication when any moving object such as a vehicle travels across a given line in a certain direction.

Other and similar objects and uses of this invention will become apparent upon reading further.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows a longitudinal section of the trafiic warning device.

FIGURE 2 shows a cross-section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 shows a cross-section of the device taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 shows the device with sections cut away and showing the electrical warning circuit.

The outer element of the device is a tube-like container as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The ends of the tube-like container are closed with an end plate having stud bolt fasteners. The tubelil e container may be made of metal or any other material which will resist deformation.

An inner tube-like element 2 is made of a hermetically scalable, flexible material like rubber and has a valve stem at its end. Found along one side of the tube 2, in a line, are large pointed flexible protuberances integral with the tube. Thus the inner tube is fitted into the container through the container end and blown up to some 30 lbs. more or less of pressure. Under pressure the protuberances will stick out above the surface of the road and make a series of obstructions about three (3) inches apart and over which the vehicle must travel in order to pass across the line made by the series of protuberances.

Inside of each of the protuberances is a finger-like element 4 made of a tough plastic such as Teflon. Attached to each of these Teflon finger is an elongated piece 5 of spring steel or some other piece of flexible conducting material. Stretched lengthwise of the tube and spaced from the piece of spring steel is a wire conducting element 6. Element '6 is a line having a coil spring 7 under tension attached to the wire and the end of the container. Thus the conducting element is drawn tight between the ends of the container but is able to give a little when one of the spring steel pieces pushes against it. A

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long coil of conducting wire 8 runs along the spring steel elements and out the end of the container.

The operation of the electrical warning circuit is best seen in FIGURE 4. Coiled wires 7 and 8 each pass through a hermetic seal at the end of inner tube 2. One wire passes to an energy source and from the energy source a lead extends to a warning device. From the warning device a conductive lead extends to the other wire thus completing a closed circuit when the device is actuated.

As one can readily appreciate from noting the above description and inspecting the drawing, when an automobile runs from left to right across the device shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 then the protuberances 3 will be pressed to the right and the finger 4 will be moved to the right above the ground but will go to the left in the tube and carry spring 5 with it against wire 6. This will complete the circuit. Upon completion of this circuit a signal will be actuated to give notice that the sensing device has been crossed in the wrong direction.

With the construction above the container and tube may be placed in cement or the cement poured around the container so that the slotted top of the container lies with its top flush with the upper level of the cement. In this way the road surface is supported by the container and its tube so that road surface damage from the pounding of continuous trafiic is avoided.

The trafiic warning device can be made of any desired length. A length of about ten (10) feet under present conditions would appear desirable. Any number of such devices may be coupled or arranged in series.

From the above disclosure it can be readily appreciated that this signal device has particular application any place along a road where one desires that a motorist should be notified if he is straying out of the regular bounds of trafiic flow, an example would be, a motorist entering a high speed thoroughfare by Way of an off ramp exit. It is clear that when a moving vehicle or body passes over the projections extending above the roadway in the reverse direction (left in FIGURES 2 and 3) no electrical contact is made and thus no signal will be actuated.

Though I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention it is clear that many modifications are within the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a warning system for a moving object: first flexible means extending above and below a roadway, first electrical contact means attached to said first flexible means and extending below said roadway, second electrical contact means lying adjacent said first contact means and adapted to be touched by said first contact means when a moving object passes across said first flexible means in one direction.

2. The device described in claim 1 in which a current source and a warning device are in electrical series with said contacts.

3. The device described in claim 1 in which a current source and a warning device are in electrical series with said contacts whereby closing of said contacts causes actuation of said warning device.

4. In a traflic warning device: a tube-like container having a slot running its length, an inflatable tube having spaced protuberances in a line along its length and adapted to be mounted in said container, finger-like elements ena cased in said protuberances and extending into said inflatable tube, flexible metal strips attached to each said finger-like element and extending further into said inflatable tube, a Wire extending the length of said tube and spaced to one side of said strips, an electrical conductor attached to said strip and another attached to said Wire, and, an electrical source and Warning signal device connected in series bet-Ween said electrical conductors.

5. In a tratfic Warning device: a tube-like container having a slot running its length, a tube having elastic protuberances spaced along its length and said protuberances being adapted to extend through said slot, finger-like members extending into and attached to said protuberances from inside of said tube, an electrical contact adjacent said members and Warning circuit means adapted to be actuated when a moving vehicle passes the wrong Way over said protuberances.

6. In a tralfic Warning device: a tube with a series of elastic protuberances adapted to extend above the surface of a roadway, means actuated by traffic passing the Wrong Way over said protuberances and adapted to give a warning signal when traflic passes over said protuberances the Wrong way.

N 0 references cited.

THOMAS B. HABEOKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A WARNING SYSTEM FOR A MOVING OBJECT: FIRST FLEXIBLE MEANS EXTENDING ABOVE AND BELOW A ROADWAY, FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID FIRST FLEXIBLE MEANS AND EXTENDING BELOW SAID ROADWAY, SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTRACT MEANS LYING ADJACENT SAID FIRST CONTACT MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE TOUCHED BY SAID FIRST CONTACT MEANS WHEN A MOVING OBJECT PASSES ACROSS SAID FIRST FLEXIBLE MEANS IN ONE DIRECTION. 